[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1495 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1495

   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
  program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using service 
 dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or 
        mental injuries or disabilities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 22, 2009

 Mr. Franken (for himself, Mr. Isakson, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Graham, Mr. 
 Begich, and Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
  program to assess the feasibility and advisability of using service 
 dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or 
        mental injuries or disabilities, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Service Dogs for Veterans Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF SERVICE DOGS FOR THE TREATMENT OR 
              REHABILITATION OF VETERANS WITH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL 
              INJURIES OR DISABILITIES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The United States owes a profound debt to those who 
        have served the United States honorably in the Armed Forces.
            (2) Disabled veterans suffer from a range of physical and 
        mental injuries and disabilities.
            (3) In 2008, the Army reported the highest level of 
        suicides among its soldiers since it began tracking the rate 28 
        years before 2009.
            (4) A scientific study documented in the 2008 Rand Report 
        entitled ``Invisible Wounds of War'' estimated that 300,000 
        veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom currently suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
            (5) Veterans have benefitted in multiple ways from the 
        provision of service dogs.
            (6) The Department of Veterans Affairs has been 
        successfully placing guide dogs with the blind since 1961.
            (7) Thousands of dogs around the country await adoption.
    (b) Program Required.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
commence a three-year pilot program to assess the benefits, 
feasibility, and advisability of using service dogs for the treatment 
or rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or 
disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
    (c) Partnerships.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
        program by partnering with nonprofit organizations that--
                    (A) have experience providing service dogs to 
                individuals with injuries or disabilities;
                    (B) do not charge fees for the dogs, services, or 
                lodging that they provide; and
                    (C) are accredited by a generally accepted 
                industry-standard accrediting institution.
            (2) Reimbursement of costs.--The Secretary shall reimburse 
        partners for costs relating to the pilot program as follows:
                    (A) For the first 50 dogs provided under the pilot 
                program, all costs relating to the provision of such 
                dogs.
                    (B) For dogs provided under the pilot program after 
                the first 50 dogs provided, all costs relating to the 
                provision of every other dog.
    (d) Participation.--
            (1) In general.--As part of the pilot program, the 
        Secretary shall provide a service dog to a number of veterans 
        with physical or mental injuries or disabilities that is 
        greater than or equal to the greater of--
                    (A) 200; and
                    (B) the minimum number of such veterans required to 
                produce scientifically valid results with respect to 
                assessing the benefits and costs of the use of such 
                dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of such 
                veterans.
            (2) Composition.--The Secretary shall ensure that--
                    (A) half of the participants in the pilot program 
                are veterans who suffer primarily from a mental health 
                injury or disability; and
                    (B) half of the participants in the pilot program 
                are veterans who suffer primarily from a physical 
                injury or disability.
    (e) Study.--In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
conduct a scientifically valid research study of the costs and benefits 
associated with the use of service dogs for the treatment or 
rehabilitation of veterans with physical or mental injuries or 
disabilities. The matters studied shall include the following:
            (1) The therapeutic benefits to such veterans, including 
        the quality of life benefits reported by the veterans partaking 
        in the pilot program.
            (2) The economic benefits of using service dogs for the 
        treatment or rehabilitation of such veterans, including--
                    (A) savings on health care costs, including savings 
                relating to reductions in hospitalization and 
                reductions in the use of prescription drugs; and
                    (B) productivity and employment gains for the 
                veterans.
            (3) The effectiveness of using service dogs to prevent 
        suicide.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Annual report of the secretary.--After each year of the 
        pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
        on the findings of the Secretary with respect to the pilot 
        program.
            (2) Final report by the national academy of sciences.--Not 
        later than 180 days after the date of the completion of the 
        pilot program, the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to 
        Congress a report on the results of the pilot program.
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